Chapter Six. Short Lived Reunion

One Year Ago

Setsuna ran through the streets of Juban, holding baby Hotaru in her arms. She was determined to keep the child safe at all costs, just as she had promised her father that she would.

However, the recent events have proven to hinder her promise. One day, she had picked Hotaru up from her father and the next thing she knew, the world HAD changed and strange creatures known as Netherworlders HAD taken control of the planet under the ruling of their queen: Queen Hadea.

Setsuna tried to transform upon the forces trying to attack her and Hotaru but she found that she was unable to. She had hoped that the princess, her true love and her friends were doing okay and hoped that she would find a way to reunite with them soon but in the meantime, there were two people in particular that she needed to reunite with.

-Sailor-Moon-Defenders-

Setsuna arrived downtown to find Haruka and Michiru struggling to fight against Hadea's forces. She saw a golden rifle that one of the guards were holding; the same one that turned people into stone.

Knowing that her friends were in trouble, Setsuna decided to act fast. She hid Hotaru at a nearby bush.

"Forgive me, little one." Setsuna told the child. "It's too soon for you to fight."

Moments later, Setsuna hurried to the scene and kicked the weapons out of each of the guards' hands. Then, she knocked them down. Setsuna looked up as her friends looked at her in complete surprise as she picked up Hotaru in her arms.

"I don't believe it." Haruka stated in amazement. "Setsuna, is that you?"

"What are you doing here?" Michiru added.

"There is an unprecedented disturbance in the fabric of space and time." Setsuna answered.

"A disturbance?" Michiru looked at her with surprise.

"You mean those creeps that attacked us?" Haruka asked.

"Exactly." Setsuna nodded before she explained further. "This entire galaxy has fallen under the ruling of Queen Hadea of the Netherworld, an ambitious ruler."

"Queen Hadea?" Michiru asked. "That's who is behind the changes of this world?"

"The Netherworld?" Haruka added as she was surprised at this revelation before she looked at who Setsuna was holding. "Wait. Is that child...Hotaru?"

"What?!" Michiru exclaimed in shock.

"I went to see Professor Tomoe and asked to borrow her for awhile." Setsuna answered.

"But why?!" Haruka demanded.

"Because the time is drawing near." Setsuna answered calmly. "The time in which we will need Hotaru's powers."

"But why aren't you transformed?" Haruka asked.

"I tried to transform." Setsuna answered. "I found that I couldn't."

"What does that mean?" Michiru asked.

"You think Hadea has somehow used her powers to keep you from transforming?" Haruka asked.

"You think that we still might be able to transform?" Michiru added.

"Only one way to find out." Haruka stated as she and her partner got out their transformation sticks.

"Uranus Planet Power..."

"Neptune Planet Power..."

"Make up!"

Setsuna looked on in surprise to see that Haruka and Michiru were also unable to transform.

"We can't transform!" Michiru exclaimed.

"What now?" Haruka asked, clearly not happy about this situation.

"There is nothing that we can do now." Setsuna looked down. "We need to find a place to hide. For Hotaru's sake."

"But what about our Princess?" Haruka asked, as Setsuna could tell that she was thinking about Usagi and the others.

"There is nothing that we can do for them." Setsuna answered as she looked down at Hotaru. "All we can do is retreat and protect Hotaru at all costs."

ONE YEAR LATER

Setsuna looked around her surroundings. It was the same surroundings that she had been in for the past year.

Shortly after they found they were unable to transform last year, Setsuna and the rest of the Outer Guardians were able to take shelter in one of the rebel groups that was located in Japan. She along with Haruka and Michiru agreed to help do what they can to fight against Hadea's forces.

A crash from a distance pulled Setsuna from her thoughts.

She sighed. "That was the kitchen."

Then she let out a slight groan as she stood up. "Oh dear."

"Wasn't she quietly reading a book just a second ago?" Setsuna asked herself.

She hurried over to the kitchen area of where Haruka and Michiru had also arrived. They looked to see a six year old Hotaru on the floor crying.

"Look at this!" Michiru exclaimed as she pointed at something near the child. Setsuna turned to see broken plates on the floor. "All my antique plates are destroyed."

"Sorry." Setsuna apologized. "She was only by herself for a moment."

"Good thing it wasn't the Mr. Motomiya's stuff that was broken." Haruka stated referring to the rebel leader. "He would have had a fit."

"Yeah. Besides, she probably got bored." Michiru stated as she started picking up the broken plates. "She already read all the books in the study multiple times. Just the other day, she recited a Vergilius poem from memory."

Setsuna sighed before speaking up. "Even though we see it everyday, the rapid pace of her development never ceases to amaze me."

"It feels like a high speed dream." Haruka added.

"Definetly." Michiru nodded in agreement.

Setsuna looked down as she saw the young child stand up. During this past year, Hotaru started growing at a terribly fast pace: from a baby to the six year old girl that she was at the moment. She couldn't help but to wonder if this signaled an awakening. Reawakening as the Sailor Guardian of Ruin and Rebirth: Sailor Saturn.

-Sailor-Moon-Defenders-

Hotaru found herself in a dark room. She looked outside the window as the rain was falling. She saw lighting flash and the sound of thunder. She screamed in fright before running into a mirror.

Turning around, she touched her reflection. Instead of seeing her usual reflection, she saw what appeared to be a slight older version of herself, wearing some sort of purple garb and holding what appeared to be a glaive which caused her to gasp in fright.

"Don't be afraid." the strange figure told the girl. "The time has come for the young soul to awaken and fulfill her destiny."

"Who are you?" Hotaru asked.

"I am Sailor Saturn." the figure answered. "And I...am your Guardian."

"My Guardian?"

"The time is coming for you and the rest of the Outer Guardians to reunite with the Princess and the others." Sailor Saturn said. "I call upon...your true powers!"

Hotaru looked at the guardian as she pointed at her with her index finger glowing a bright ball of white energy.

"Now..." Sailor Saturn told the girl. "Close your eyes."

Hotaru did as she was told.

Memories started to flood her mind. She smiled as she remembered her friend Chibiusa and when they first met. Then she could remember the picnic she had with her along with Usagi and the Inner Guardians.

She felt fear as she could remember Sailor Moon protecting her from both Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. Then she could remember Mistress 9, her evil counterpart that nearly caused destruction to the entire world.

Then, Hotaru could remember the lab explosion that forever changed her life.

Finally, she could remember her biological father who she loved.

All of the memories had returned to the girl.

"I..." Hotaru stated as she felt the symbol of Saturn on her forehead. "I remember."

Suddenly, she had visions of the Sailor Guardians in action as they were fighting against Hadea's forces.

She also saw nine other people that she couldn't recognize: a blonde man, a man in a purple jumpsuit, a man dressed like a magician, a black muscular man, a blonde woman, a blonde man who was younger, a young blonde woman, a young black man, an Asian teenage boy and finally a young woman with raven hair who appeared to be wearing a royal dress and sporting a tiara. The other eight individuals appeared to be fighting against Hadea's forces as well.

"What is this?" Hotaru asked. "Who are those people besides the Sailor Guardians? I am seeing different visions."

Hotaru woke up as she found herself in her bedroom. "I need to hurry."

Knowing there was no time to waste, she rose up from her bed and hurried out of the bedroom to find her guardians. They needed to know that the time has arrived.

Hotaru managed to find Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna at the lounge, where they appeared to be surprised. Probably due to the fact that she had now become nine years old by this reawakening.

"Hotaru?" Haruka glanced in surprise.

"Is that you?" Michiru added.

"Einstein said life isn't worth living unless it's lived for someone else." Hotaru stated as she walked into the lounge. "A heart felt idea for a man known for his mind."

She looked happily at the three women. "And it's a thought I happen to agree with."

"Are you...who I think?" Haruka asked.

"The time is upon us." Hotaru explained to the three women. "We four have to reawaken once again. There are those who we are meant to live for no matter how many times we are reborn."

"Hotaru, you mean..." Haruka started to ask.

"You remember your past, Hotaru?" Setsuna asked in surprise.

"Yes, but I am not who I was before." Hotaru answered as she looked down and walked towards a wall. "I cannot do what I must in solitude from afar."

She touched the concrete area of the wall. "We were reborn. The princess, her true love, the Inner Guardians, we've all been given new life on Earth."

Hotaru hated that she couldn't look outside from this hideout that they were in. In spite of this, she continued on with what she had to say. "And now we must use that life."

She turned around with a smile and faced her three guardians. "I cannot thank you enough for raising me; Daddy Haruka, Mommy Michiru and Mommy Setsuna. As parents and teachers, you three guided me."

Hotaru extended her right hand and a purple crystal in the shape of a heart appeared. "Now I will guide you."

She looked up as the three women were startled by their own crystals appearing before them, looking just like Hotaru's crystal except they all had different colors: Haruka with a dark blue crystal, Michiru with a sea green crystal and Setsuna with a dark red crystal.

"These are the symbols of our powers." Hotaru told the three women. "They are our new planetary crystals."

"What's happening?" Haruka asked.

"Danger approaches our Prince and Princess." Hotaru answered. "The same applies for the others. Not even the new help that they have joined forces with will be enough to stop the Queen Hadea."

She felt the symbol of Saturn flash on her forehead once again. "There's no time to waste. We must go!"

Hotaru watched as the symbols of Neptune, Uranus and Pluto flashed on the foreheads of Michiru, Haruka and Setsuna respectively.

"They are at Monitor 3 at Juban." Haruka stated. "Let's go to Monitor 3 where the others are."

PRESENT DAY

Rick looked in awe at the four new Sailor Guardians as he learned about how they were able to find the rest of the Sailor Guardians, let alone the Defenders. Along with the rest of the Defenders and the Inner Guardians, he listened to what the Outer Guardians had to say.

"That was how we were able to find you guys." Setsuna stated.

"And it appears that we have arrived just in time too." Haruka quipped.

"We received a sign that you guys are going to need all the help you can get." Michiru stated.

"We will most certainly need it." Flash replied.

"That's the reason that we reunited with the Inner Guardians as well." Setsuna explained. "We have a destined path set before us. It is our fate to protect the Prince and Princess at all costs. We can't run or hide from it."

Setsuna placed her staff down. "We must accept it, and make way for whatever may come. That is our purpose as the Ten Sailor Guardians."

Rick sighed as he heard the word destined path being said. He wondered if there was a destined path for him and Jedda being together or was it a big mistake? He hoped that his destiny of losing the women in his life was not as it seems.

"Well." Flash got the ship ready en route to the Netherworld. "Is everybody ready?"

"It looks like we are all ready." Rick answered as he stared at his father.

"It's time to go to the Netherworld!" Flash declared.

Rick felt the ship move upwards and he could tell that his father meant every word that he said. They were going to the Netherworld and he hoped that he would have Jedda back soon.

THE NETHERWORLD

Hadea was glancing in the throne room, thinking of the recent moments of reclaiming her daughter. First she had become the Queen of the Galaxy and just now she had got Jedda and she noticed that Jedda seemed to be pleased with how she is ruling the galaxy.

"Majesty!" she heard Zorelda call out. Hadea looked to see the old woman standing as if she was needing to tell her something. She gave her a glance before Zorelda knelt before the queen.

"The Defenders of the Earth and the Sailor Guardians are on their way to the Netherworld." Zorelda announced. "I assume they are coming here for Jedda."

"I figured that they would do so." Hadea replied. "I can sense the Defenders and the Sailor Guardians coming this way. That is why I have come with a plan."

With a wave of her hand, she summoned the Necklace of Oros to her chest, preparing to proceed with her latest plan for the heroes. She took a deep breath and spread her arms. Her bare feet rose from the marble floor that she was standing on.

"Necklace of Oros..." Hadea commanded, "move the Defenders of the Earth and the Sailor Guardians and separate them to separate areas of the world."

She watched as the necklace emitted a huge burst of light. She could sense the group of heroes being separated into separate parts of the world. Then she opened her eyes once the task was done.

"So that was your plan?" Zorelda asked. "Separate the Defenders?"

"Precisely." Hadea answered calmly. "There may be a chance that the Defenders and the Sailor Guardians might be able to stop me but you should know that my forces will do what they can to stop them as they are among those who defy my ruling."

Hadea turned away from the witch. "I can sense where they were all separated at. I can also sense some of them coming to the Netherworld. I wanted them to come."

-Sailor-Moon-Defenders-

Jedda woke up feeling nauseated. Just like the last time the sickness was driving her mad as she felt a bitter taste in her mouth and a grumbling stomach.

Quickly, Jedda rose out of bed and ran straight to the bathroom. She leaned towards a toilet and started to throw up. Moments after the purging spell was over, Jedda wiped her mouth and flushed.

She walked to the sink to wipe her face clean as well as her hands. She sighed, wondering what could have caused her to throw up like this as this was the second time that she had to throw up. She knew that it couldn't have been something she ate because it was the same thing as Hadea ate ever since she had been here.

Suddenly, Jedda was hit with a realization that she could possibly be pregnant.

How? She thought to herself. It couldn't be a baby. Not now.

Jedda gasped as she realized that she had made love to Rick not too long before she came here to Hadea. She shook her head as she had hoped that it wasn't the case, at least not while this conflict was still ongoing. The thought of her possibly being pregnant shook her.

"Jedda?"

She looked up and saw Hadea opening the bathroom door with a concerned look on her face.

"What's the matter, my darling?" She crossed the bathroom and held Jedda close to her arms.

"I don't know." Jedda shook her head. "It must have been something I ate."

"That is impossible," Hadea replied. "Because I ate the same thing and I am not feeling the same sickness you are. I will call for a doctor and you are going to see him."

Jedda looked in surprise as she wondered if her suspicions were true and if she was indeed pregnant.

Author's Note: Practice makes perfect when you are learning something new and writing is no exception. That's what took so long with the writing of this chapter.

With that being said, here are some commentary for selected scenes.

"Only one way to find out." Haruka stated as she and her partner got out their transformation sticks.

"Uranus Planet Power..."

"Neptune Planet Power..."

"Make up!"

Setsuna looked on in surprise to see that Haruka and Michiru were also unable to transform.

"We can't transform!" Michiru exclaimed.

"What now?" Haruka asked, clearly not happy about this situation.

"There is nothing that we can do now." Setsuna looked down. "We need to find a place to hide. For Hotaru's sake."

"But what about our Princess?" Haruka asked, as Setsuna could tell that she was thinking about Usagi and the others.

"There is nothing that we can do for them." Setsuna answered as she looked down at Hotaru. "All we can do is retreat and protect Hotaru at all costs."

I was trying to think of a logical reason on why the Outer Guardians weren't present during the whole year. I'm certain that they would be willing to fight in some form with the rebellion but I didn't really explore the scenario all that much.

Setsuna looked down as she saw the young child stand up. During this past year, Hotaru started growing at a terribly fast pace: from a baby to the six year old girl that she was at the moment. She couldn't help but to wonder if this signaled an awakening. Reawakening as the Sailor Guardian of Ruin and Rebirth: Sailor Saturn.

Like with the first couple of scenes, I tried keeping the POV focused on Setsuna and what she was thinking when she was looking at Hotaru.

Turning around, she touched her reflection. Instead of seeing her usual reflection, she saw what appeared to be a slight older version of herself, wearing some sort of purple garb and holding what appeared to be a glaive which caused her to gasp in fright.

"Don't be afraid." the strange figure told the girl. "The time has come for the young soul to awaken and fulfill her destiny."

"Who are you?" Hotaru asked.

"I am Sailor Saturn." the figure answered. "And I...am your Guardian."

"My Guardian?"

"The time is coming for you and the rest of the Outer Guardians to reunite with the Princess and the others." Sailor Saturn said. "I call upon...your true powers!"

I switched the POV to Hotaru's where she would be reawakened as Sailor Saturn.

Suddenly, she had visions of the Sailor Guardians in action as they were fighting against Hadea's forces.

She also saw nine other people that she couldn't recognize: a blonde man, a man in a purple jumpsuit, a man dressed like a magician, a black muscular man, a blonde woman, a blonde man who was younger, a young blonde woman, a young black man, an Asian teenage boy and finally a young woman with raven hair. Those individuals appeared to be fighting against Hadea's forces too.

"What is this?" Hotaru asked. "Who are those people besides the Sailor Guardians? I am seeing different visions."

Hotaru woke up as she found herself in her bedroom. "I need to hurry."

This would show how Hotaru would end up knowing about the Defenders after she had her memories returned to her as Sailor Saturn in her dream. Almost a mish mash of the anime and the Sailor Moon Eternal version of Sailor Saturn's reawakening.

"Hotaru, you mean..." Haruka started to ask.

"You remember your past, Hotaru?" Setsuna asked in surprise.

"Yes, but I am not who I was before." Hotaru answered as she looked down and walked towards a wall. "I cannot do what I must in solitude from afar."

She touched the concrete area of the wall. "We were reborn. The princess, her true love, the Inner Guardians, we've all been given new life on Earth."

Hotaru hated that she couldn't look outside from this hideout that they were in. In spite of this, she continued on with what she had to say. "And now we must use that life."

She turned around with a smile and faced her three guardians. "I cannot thank you enough for raising me; Daddy Haruka, Mommy Michiru and Mommy Setsuna. As parents and teachers, you three guided me."

Hotaru extended her right hand and a purple crystal in the shape of a heart appeared. "Now I will guide you."

She looked up as the three women were startled by their own crystals appearing before them, looking just like Hotaru's crystal except they all had different colors: Haruka with a dark blue crystal, Michiru with a sea green crystal and Setsuna with a dark red crystal.

Again with this scene, I was intending on keeping it in Hotaru's POV as she was reawakening the powers of Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Pluto.

Rick looked in awe at the four new Sailor Guardians as he learned about how they were able to find the rest of the Sailor Guardians, let alone the Defenders. Along with the rest of the Defenders and the Inner Guardians, he listened to what the Outer Guardians had to say.

"That was how we were able to find you guys." Setsuna stated.

"And it appears that we have arrived just in time too." Haruka quipped.

"We received a sign that you guys are going to need all the help you can get." Michiru stated.

"We will most certainly need it." Flash replied.

"That's the reason that we reunited with the Inner Guardians as well." Setsuna explained. "We have a destined path set before us. It is our fate to protect the Prince and Princess at all costs. We can't run or hide from it."

Setsuna placed her staff down. "We must accept it, and make way for whatever may come. That is our purpose as the Ten Sailor Guardians."

Rick sighed as he heard the word destined path being said. He wondered if there was a destined path for him and Jedda being together or was it a big mistake? He hoped that his destiny of losing the women in his life was not as it seems.

I was going to have this scene set in Setsuna's POV but knowing that Rick was troubled with possibly losing Jedda, I decided to have this scene in his POV instead.

With a wave of her hand, she summoned the Necklace of Oros to her chest, preparing to proceed with her latest plan for the heroes. She took a deep breath and spread her arms. Her bare feet rose from the marble floor that she was standing on.

"Necklace of Oros..." Hadea commanded, "move the Defenders of the Earth and the Sailor Guardians and separate them to separate areas of the world."

She watched as the necklace emitted a huge burst of light. She could sense the group of heroes being separated into separate parts of the world. Then she opened her eyes once the task was done.

"So that was your plan?" Zorelda asked. "Separate the Defenders?"

"Precisely." Hadea answered calmly. "There may be a chance that the Defenders and the Sailor Guardians might be able to stop me but you should know that my forces will do what they can to stop them as they are among those who defy my ruling."

I was trying to think of a logical reason on why Hadea had the heroes separated to separate parts of the world. Hadea is surely not careless and would try to do what it takes to keep her regime as it is.

Hadea turned away from the witch and gave a smug look. "I can sense where they were all separated at. I can also sense some of them coming to the Netherworld. I wanted them to come."

The next two to three chapters will focus on the group of Defenders and Sailor Guardians fighting alongside rebellion groups against Hadea's forces. At least two groups will be doing so. As far as the last group is concerned that is at the Netherworld, I think we can safely bet on whom Hadea was implying, at least the Defenders who are at the Netherworld.

Jedda gasped as she realized that she had made love to Rick not too long before she came here to Hadea. She shook her head as she had hoped that it wasn't the case, at least not while this conflict was still ongoing. The thought of her possibly being pregnant shook her.

"Jedda?"

She looked up and saw Hadea opening the bathroom door with a concerned look on her face.

"What's the matter, my darling?" She crossed the bathroom and held Jedda close to her arms.

"I don't know." Jedda shook her head. "It must have been something I ate."

"That is impossible." Hadea replied. "Because I ate the same thing and I am not feeling the same sickness you are. I will call for a doctor and you are going to see him."

Jedda looked in surprise as she wondered if her suspicions were true and if she was indeed pregnant.

This last scene here describes a great foreshadowing with Rick and Jedda, even though Hadea probably had sensed that Jedda was pregnant with Rick's child.